Voigtlander Ultramatic CS

[shawn]

I picked up a Voigtlander Ultramatic CS from KEH listed in Excellent but AS/IS inoperative condition off their ebay store. It arrived this week.

It is a solid well built feeling camera.

Very sleek compared to a more typical SLR...

Best part was the shutter seems to be working fine. Fires at all speeds and sounds accurate. The meter wasn't working but after cleaning the battery contacts it is fine. It was off about a stop (1.5v battery when it originally used 1.35 mercury batteries) but I used the exposure compensation to get it accurate.

The viewfinder shows shutter speed and aperture as well as the meter.

When you have it in shutter priority mode the meter shows the selected aperture. Even that is working fine.

It is a quirky camera. I couldn't figure out how to open it, ended up having to read the manual as it is a three step process.

Even the lens is quirky...

The aperture is adjusted on the camera but it also moves the two red indicators on the lens which gives you the depth of field.

Some sites say the Ultramatic has an instant return mirror but that doesn't seem to be the case. The viewfinder is blacked out until the shutter is cocked. When you cock the shutter it opens the shutter (it is ahead of the mirror) and the mirror drops down into place. When you fire the camera the shutter closes, the mirror flips up and then the shutter opens for however long and then closes again.

The bummer is the lens which I got elsewhere.

Straight on it looks OK...

But if you get the light just right from the side you can see it is delaminating. That is apparently very common for these. I am thinking about trying to recement it.

I'm going to try it as is to see what it looks like since the center is fine, might be sort of an apodizing effect?

Shawn

 

[johnf04]

I think it's the earlier model, which had a selenium meter, which had an instant return mirror.

 

[shawn]

Thanks, doing more digging I found a few posts that said the Ultramatic had the instant return meter but that it was dropped on the CS model due to reliability issues. The Bessamatic videos I've watched don't have the instant return mirror either.

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[Pál_K]

Nice one - congratulations. I'm a Voigtländer SLR fan, but have just the Bessamatic.

The in-body leaf shutter is the bane of these cameras, since disassembly to access them is relatively complex. After about 10 years, I finally found someone (who wants to remain nameless) who is an expert on these and he fixed the jammed shutter on my Bessamatic perfectly and quickly.

The viewfinder display and operation of your Ultramatic makes me want one even more.

 

[shawn]

If you can find the Ultramatic CS it is a nice camera. KEH had this one for $56 which seems like a bargain compared to most I have seen. They currently have an Ultramatic on ebay for $50 but my guess is that one may not be working properly as the shutter is closed on it. If they have an instant return mechanism it probably should be open all the time.

Shawn

 

[randy stewart]

Too bad about the lens. It was reported to be something very special. I looked for this combo on and off for years, but never found a reliable offer for less than $350, which was more than my curiosity would afford.

 

[shawn]

Apparently it is really common with the Septon's to have separation. The glass is very clean beyond that so I'm probably going to try and recement it. Sounds like it is cement not balsam so it takes a couple of weeks in a solvent to separate the elements. I'll have to see about taking that lens apart.

Shawn

 

[farlymac]

I would try shooting with it first, as I've had lenses with separation that didn't seem to affect them much. Getting the elements back together in perfect alignment so you don't wind up with de-centering is the hard part.

I rebuilt a Contaflex II once which is very similar to the CS, and I can attest to the difficulties of making sure everything syncs together when using the camera. It took me a while to figure out why the shutter wasn't operating properly until I discovered that a previous "service" done by someone else had put over-tension in the B lever release spring. I had that camera apart and together four times before I found that. But taking it apart I made sure to photograph every step so I would get all the gears back on the proper tooth.

PF

 

[GarageBoy]

All Voigtlanders lenses separate - I sold a few ultrons that also suffered from separation
Very 1960s German looking and feeling cameras

 

[hilltime]

The Septon is one of fave lenses. Got a couple and have had a couple more with the separation. Image quality doesn't seem to suffer but it's more of a cosmetic problem which really lowers value. Same with the Zeiss Contarex lenses, which will do the same.
Love my Septon paired with Bessamatic CS.

 

[shawn]

My adapter finally came for the Septon. The adapter needed a slight adjustment to allow the F stop to be fully opened but it was a pretty quick tweak. I got a F mount adapter and then used that with a F to FE on my A7RII.

Was running out of light but this is the Septon wide open...

and this is around 5.6 or 8.

This is at MFD...

and then with a PN11 extension tube...

Wide open

and stopped down a bit..

Shawn

 

[Muggins]

Funny - I now recall reading this at the time, but had forgotten it. I've recently picked up an Ultramatic with similar woes in the Septon lens, but my shutter is not just jammed but rusty - I wonder if it fell victim to a house flood at some point? The aperture may well be in the same state as I cannot persuade it to appear at all - though aren't those automatic DoF indicators neat?

Ah well, I knew it was a risk when I got it, so I'll use it as a bookend for my camera books - means I can shoot with the Zenit without worrying about the books falling over!

Adrian

 

[farlymac]

I missed when you posted the lens test photos, Shawn. Doesn't look like any problem with the separation.


PF

 

[shawn]

Funny - I now recall reading this at the time, but had forgotten it. I've recently picked up an Ultramatic with similar woes in the Septon lens, but my shutter is not just jammed but rusty - I wonder if it fell victim to a house flood at some point? The aperture may well be in the same state as I cannot persuade it to appear at all - though aren't those automatic DoF indicators neat?

Ah well, I knew it was a risk when I got it, so I'll use it as a bookend for my camera books - means I can shoot with the Zenit without worrying about the books falling over!

Adrian

That is too bad about the camera. If you decide to open up the lens to check the aperture be careful with the return spring. It is a bit tricky to get it in the right place when you put it all back together so that it doesn't bind.

Shawn

 

[shawn]

I missed when you posted the lens test photos, Shawn. Doesn't look like any problem with the separation.


PF

Yeah, it surprised me how well it did. I need to shoot it more but got distracted. 🙂

Shawn

 

[Pál_K]

Again, such a nice find. I'm happy it's working well for you.

Were you specifically looking for that camera, or Voigtländer in general, or just browsing?

 

[CameraQuest]

how is the classic 40/2 Ultron on the Ultramatic or Bessamatic?

 

[Solinar]

One year later.............

One year later.............

how is the classic 40/2 Ultron on the Ultramatic or Bessamatic?

The only available native 40mm lens for the Voigtlander DKL mount on the Bessamatics and Ultramatics was the 40mm, f2 Skopagon - which due to its rarity is very pricey.

I wish I could tell you about the performance of the 40/2 Skopagon lens. I've only used 35/3.4 Skoparoex, 50/2 Septon, 50/2.8 Color Skopar and 90/3.4 Dynarex in the DKL mount.

With regards to the Ultramatic CS, it is rather large and heavy for the 35mm format - but it is stylish. Someone on flickr once referred to it as a beautiful symphony in chrome, glass and leather. During COVID lock down I acquired the first version of the Ultramatic, which has a selenium light cell above the lens mount and the Bessamatic CS, that offers a CdS TTL meter.

UltraDynarex
by Andrew in Austin

 

[Wouter2]

I think they're beautiful and like the engineering and leaf shutters.

 

[hilltime]

Just took out my Ultramatic CS and find the shutter seems to be operating at (approx) correct speeds from the 1 sec-1/500, but there seems to be an ever so slow movement of the mirror moving out of the way before the shutter fires. Is that the way it should be, or is this a possible lubrication problem? Also, has anyone ever seen an original Voigtlander body cap for the Bessamatic range? I have most lenses 35-200 (other than the 40/F2)
and a lot of accessories (Hoods, Filters, Front & Rear Caps, etc) but have never run across a body cap. Were they just not made or are they that rare?
My lot includes two very early Bessamatics, Bessamatic Deluxe, Bessamatic CS, Ultramatic, and the Ultramatic CS....but not one body cap!